Best Luxury Hotels in Aquitaine

A seaside Grande Dame, this 52 bedroom, seven-storey hotel was built in 1909 in the Belle Epoque style and lies in the city’s old quarter. Glamorous, suites with accents of colour come with blackout curtains, a stocked minibar, premium bedding and bay or town views. The Thalasso Spa opens directly onto the beachfront, with a heated saltwater pool, a mud bath, balneotherapy, a relaxation area and yoga classes among its amenities. Also looking onto the ocean is the Grand Hôtel’s restaurant. Children have their own play area, pets are welcome and there’s an outdoor pool.

It’s just five minutes from the airport and the staff at Beaumanoir will send a chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce, escorting you to your suite in this neo-baroque mansion surrounded by lime trees. You’ll be tempted, almost immediately, to refresh your thirst post-journey at the boutique hotel’s Dom Pérignon bar. You can also order a bite to eat in the venue, whose menu features Basque Country favourites. The building is nearly a century and a half old, and housing just four bedrooms, two suites and two apartments, a stay here feels personal and intimate. Two outdoor seating areas and a pool with contemporary loungers provide ample opportunity to catch some rays.

Swim in a saltwater pool overlooking the sea that’s heated 12 months of the year, when you stay at this Sofitel hotel. The spa has a second pool with an endless current, a solarium, sauna, jacuzzi and treatments using Organic Research and Thalassa sea and skin products. Bistronomy-style cuisine is served at Le Restaurant, including the Equilibre menu specialising in well-balanced dishes, as well as salt-free, gluten-free and children’s menus. Guests can also dine in a poolside eatery and drink in the bar. 126 bedrooms at Le Miramar have a calming ambience, decorated with botanical motifs.

On Biarritz’s headland, sandwiched between a golf course and the sea, sits Le Régina. Opened in 1907, the architecture has an early Art Deco leaning, with classic modern interiors. A glamorous riviera terrace has a seasonal, heated pool, loungers and a chic restaurant, serving fine French cuisine with plenty of Basque specialities. Inside there’s a spa with steam and treatment rooms, 65 bedrooms and a lobby bar – hosting frequent live music –  that’s just made for quaffing champagne. Valet parking and a shuttle to the aforementioned golf club (one of the nation’s oldest) are free and the MGallery property frequently features art exhibitions.